Women's International Club Scholarship - Undergraduate

This award supports undergraduate students for global learning experiences abroad in summer.

For more than thirty years the Nationality Room Committees of the University of Pittsburgh worked with joyous excitement to build eighteen classrooms in the Cathedral of Learning that would tell the people of Pittsburgh about their cultural heritage and thus keep their promise to Chancellor John G. Bowman.

Each committee had a woman as vice-chairman. In many cases this leader had developed a women's auxiliary to provide hospitality for social events. Some of these leaders sought to maintain unity as World War I was underway. The Women's International Luncheon Club was born. Historically, the Club met for luncheon at the Faculty Club, to discuss current events. More recently, the Club meets monthly to discuss women leaders.

The Women's International Club has also worked as hostesses for the Council of all the Nationality Committees and for special University events. The word "luncheon" was dropped from the Club's name as it was considered limiting and not fully representative of the group. The Club met not to eat but to think, and to achieve harmony and to work in that harmony for the University and the education of the oncoming generation.

Through bake sales and international dinners with koláce or baklava for dessert, the Club also began raising funds for scholarships, enabling University of Pittsburgh students to pursue a global experience.

In 1974, The Nationality Rooms Recipe Book was compiled to permanently endow this scholarship. This became the goal of the Women's International Club and is lasting evidence of women's belief in and willingness to work for harmony among people and nations.